The iconic Cambridge Stud is now well into its second year of business under the ownership of Brendan and Jo Lindsay, and in that time, they have certainly stamped their mark on the brand and the farm.
The black and yellow of the Lindsay’s racing colours and Brendan’s beloved Wellington rugby team have featured in all the rebranding from uniforms, stationery, vehicles, even beehives, you name it if it can be painted black and yellow it has.
When the Lindsays took over the stud a major refurbishment project was undertaken and most of that has now been completed according to CEO Henry Plumptre.
“Brendan has finished the equine component of the complex,” said Plumptre, “he has built new yearling barns, stallion barns, covering, prep and vet sheds.”
“They have upgraded staff accommodation but there is still a fair bit to do on the farm, especially with general paddock infrastructure, and we will replace fencing that is nearing its use by date.”
“In 2017, we purchased a 100-acre block on Pickering Road, adjoining Middle Park. It was redeveloped and has become part of the main farm. Brendan and Jo have purchased another 120 acres on the southern side of the farm that will be redeveloped next year. This, along with the relocation of the Foaling Unit and the creation of a Heritage Centre, will be our primary focus for developments in 2020.”
The new yearling barns are housing their first draft of yearlings for Karaka 2020, the second draft under the new ownership. Beside a number of yearlings by resident sire Tavistock, there is certainly an exciting mix of yearlings to sell.
Their Book One draft features 55 yearlings on behalf of the stud and their clients, made up of 36 colts and 19 fillies, featuring some of Cambridge Stud’s iconic families along with other youngsters from the stud’s ever-increasing band of well-bred mares.
The broodmare band now sits at 151, with the addition this year of another fifty, 12 from Europe and 38 from Australia and New Zealand. A number of these were off the track, or in foal to a wide range of stallions so we can expect this diversity to be present in the Cambridge draft for the next couple of years.
“The draft is a bit top heavy with boys – 36 colts and 19 fillies,” Plumptre said when discussing the horses with Bluebloods.
Snitzel (AUS), Sebring (AUS), American Pharoah (USA), Pierro (AUS), Lonhro (AUS), Exceed and Excel (AUS), Hinchinbrook(AUS) and first season Japanese stallion Maurice(JPN), along with Tavistock, Savabeel (AUS) and the first season sire Tarzino are just some of the stallions represented in the Cambridge Stud line up.
“It works well for New Zealand vendors to have a decent spread of Australian stallions in a draft as many of our yearlings are sold to Australian clients.”
“We will continue to have an Australian flavour for the next couple of years as we sent 14 to Australia this year and they are in foal to Pierro (AUS), Written Tycoon (AUS), Shooting To Win (AUS) and the Triple Crown winners American Pharaoh (USA) and Justify (USA).”
The Snitzel (AUS)-Katie Lee colt is an example of this philosophy, being by the champion Australian sire out of a champion New Zealand filly.
According to Plumptre this colt has thrived in his prep, and is fairly typical of his stallion, being a good walking, robust, neat individual.
However, it is the Exceed and Excel (AUS) colt out Tricia’o that Plumptre is really impressed with and rates as one of their top colts.
“He is typical of his sire, a strong racy looking colt, from another iconic Cambridge Stud family – he is owned by Dr. Gene Tsoi.”
A winning O’Reilly mare Tricia’o is a half-sister to the stakes winning mare La Sizeranne, and a half- sister to Sara Ann the dam of Tavago. She is a daughter of the Zabeel stakes placed winning mare Tricia Ann. She in turn is a three-quarter sister to the Gr.1 VRC Derby winner and successful stallion Grosvenor, National Gallery, et-al.
A colt that the team at Cambridge Stud think highly of is the son of Hinchinbrook (AUS) and the Galileo (IRE) mare I Presume (GB). The dam is a half-sister to the multiple stakes winner Doctor Fremantle, being out of the stakes placed winner Rainbow Quest (GB) mare Summer Breeze. She in turn is a sister to the Champion French three-year-old Raintrap, and the Champion French two-year-old Sunshack.
It is a very strong European stakes winning family.
“We like this horse and think he will sell well.
A quality type with plenty of scope.” he remarked.
“One of the more interesting colts in our draft is the Maurice (JPN) colt out of Phenetic (GB). He was a leggy foal and is now a stylish yearling, a good moving horse with plenty of strength.
All told there are 17 colts by the stud’s flagship stallion Tavistock, who continues to leave a host of winners in the 2019/2020 season. Tavistock throws horses very like himself – they are athletic, scopey types with strong constitutions.
Plumptre’s pick of the Tavistocks is the colt out of Zonza a daughter of Zabeel raced by the Lindsays. A winner of five races she won the Gr.3 Lady’s Day Vase at Caulfield and was second in the Listed Lord Mayor’s Cup.
She is already the dam of Bavella (by Snitzel[AUS]) who at two won the Listed Splice Construction Two-Year-Old Stakes, was placed fourth in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes, and at three this season has finished second in the Gr.3 HBJC Gold Trail Stakes, the Gr.3 ARC Soliloquy Stakes, and fourth in the Gr.1 Gavelhouse 1000 Guineas at Riccarton.
“He’s a nice horse – a well grown colt with size and scope, and a good walker,” according to Plumptre. “He is a half-brother to Bavella, but bigger than her, and there has been a lot of interest in him.”
The colt is bred on the proven Tavistock/ Zabeel cross that has produced the Group One winners Werther and Tarzino and three other Group winners, and there are a further seven colts in the Cambridge draft bred on that cross.
And if you want a yearling with the Zabeel factor that descends from an iconic Cambridge Stud family, you are in luck with progeny from Diamond Lover’s family out of Diamonds Forever, and Diamond Smile. The O’Reilly mare, Lovetessa, a granddaughter of Tristalove also has a very attractive, good walking Tavistock colt.
Another yearling bred on that cross is the filly from Kilfenora, herself a sister to the Group One winners Champagne and St Reims. The most recent Group One graduate from that family is the twice named New Zealand Horse of the Year Bonneval.
Kilfenora generally throws a good-looking foal and Plumptre describes her as a lovely filly with good scope and quality.
On behalf of their good clients the Hollinshead family from Te Awamutu, Cambridge Stud have on offer a Tavistock colt out of the Group One winning mare Pondarosa Miss who presents as a neat strong good walking colt. This is also the family of the Group One placed Te Akau Shark and the Thorn Park mare Hayley Grace, recently purchased by Cambridge Stud.
“We look forward to presenting these yearlings at Karaka,” concluded Plumptre, “continuing the Cambridge Stud tradition of breeding and rearing exceptional racehorses.” ✦
